NEW DELHI: Just as the news of Delhi Police special cell team visiting Twitter’s office broke on social media on Monday evening, the hashtag Manipulated Media became one of the top trends with over 17k posts. But what does the label recently slapped on a bunch of
BJP politicians, notably Sambit Patra, by Twitter mean? TOI takes a look at the tag that has led to another round of standoff between Twitter and the union government:
What is manipulated media?Twitter defines any media (videos, audio, and images) that have been deceptively altered or fabricated as manipulated.
Tweets are labeled under this category when they are "likely to cause harm".
How does Twitter tag content as manipulated?Twitter says it uses a mix of technology and expert human review to label content. "In order to determine if media have been significantly and deceptively altered or fabricated, we may use our own technology or receive reports through partnerships with third parties," the company has explained in a blog.
What action does Twitter take against manipulated content?Depending on the severity of the fabrication and the likely harm it can cause, Twitter either labels content or removes them from the platform. The company also reduces visibility of such content, and warns users that "repeated violations" can lead to their accounts being permanently suspended.